Over the weekend, the Twins parted ways with Steven Okert, who joins Jay Jackson and Josh Staumont as offseason additions the team was forced to give up midseason. The Twins will also be without Brock Stewart, who is out for the year after shoulder surgery, and Justin Topa, who has not pitched this season and likely won’t.

Overall, these mounting losses have reduced bullpen depth, which seemed to be a major asset earlier in the season. Minnesota’s front office passed up the chance to make a significant addition at the trade deadline, instead opting for Trevor Richards as their only signing – a baffling decision that has yielded no benefit.

He’s at least healthy enough to last a few innings, but Richards isn’t someone the Twins can rely on. The pool of reliable late-inning pitchers is essentially limited to Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands and Jorge Alcalá, with the latter starting to falter here in August. If the team can’t find a way to add to its pool of reliable pitchers, it simply won’t have much hope of making a long run and it could be in danger of missing the playoffs.

With outside additions now largely off the table, here are some names to keep an eye on as pitchers who have a plausible chance of making an impact in the Twins’ late innings over the final five weeks of the season and beyond.

Louie Varland
He’s the most obvious name when it comes to improving the back end of the bullpen. We saw what Varland can do as a reliever last year, and it was a thoroughly convincing performance. The Twins could use a very similar approach this time around, upgrading Varland in the bullpen with a few appearances in September to establish him as a powerhouse pitcher in the playoffs who can throw multiple innings. Knowing the value Varland has been able to provide in that role, it’ll be hard to avoid going that route at some point, though Minnesota’s thinned rotation depth complicates matters.

Josh Winder
Not too long ago, Winder’s name wouldn’t have been mentioned as an option for a high-impact position. Then again, not too long ago, neither did Sands. Winder has looked really good during his brief time in the Twins’ bullpen this year, recording 10 strikeouts with one walk in nine innings while posting a 15% swinging strike rate. He still has a few days to spend in Triple-A after his mid-August option, but should be back up to speed soon and deserves a chance to show what he can do at some key positions.

Chris Paddack
Paddack is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday. If the scan is clear, the right-hander could begin throwing again, and a rehab assignment will follow soon. I doubt he’ll have time to establish himself as a starter, but he showed late last year that he can be an effective backup out of the bullpen. Paddack threw 3 ⅓ innings of near-perfect play in two ALDS appearances.

Joe Ryan
While that’s a little tougher than Paddack, the Twins intentionally didn’t let Ryan miss the season because of his shoulder injury. It would require a recovery at best, but it’s not impossible that the right-hander could get back into the throwing program in the second half of September. Like Paddack, Ryan wouldn’t have much of a chance of ever playing in a game again, but he could be a formidable weapon out of the bullpen. Again, that’s a big gamble.

David Festa
The rookie currently occupies a spot in the Twins’ rotation and looks solid, but his struggles after the first round have held him back. Opponents are hitting .133/.175/.167 the first time against Festa, but .423/.492/.808 the second time. That profile screams a bullpen role, where the 24-year-old could be quite dominant. Granted, that would require finding a starter to replace him in the rotation for the rest of the regular season (Varland? Randy Dobnak?), but there are many advantages to this idea.

Kody Funderburk
Something of a forgotten man in the Twins bullpen lineup, Funderburk has been on the injured list since the All-Star break with an oblique injury. Phil Miller of the Star Tribune reported last week that the left-hander is healed and ready to start throwing, with some rehab likely to follow. Funderburk hasn’t pitched particularly well this year, but don’t underestimate his ability to throw key innings in September and even October. He has real strikeout stuff. The Twins liked him enough to put him on the postseason roster as a rookie last year.

Michael Tonkin
I mention this name because it’s timely and relevant. Tonkin was called up for assignment by the Yankees on Sunday after a rough stretch. But overall, he had a very good run in New York, posting a 3.38 ERA and 3.58 FIP in 56 innings for one of the league’s best teams. As you may recall, Tonkin spent a very brief stint with the Twins in April and has a lot more history here. If he can reach them via the waiver list, Tonkin could be a worthwhile addition to a desperate team.

Marco Raya
Ranked as the organization’s 10th-best prospect by Twins Daily, Raya is a below-average 21-year-old with a nasty fastball/slider combination currently pitching in Double-A. The Twins have been cautious with the former high school draft pick, and he still has some way to go as a starter from a developmental standpoint, but his stuff could be used in short stints against big league hitters right now. It would be a gamble, but nothing should be ruled out in my view at this point.

Did I miss anyone? Who else should be mentioned as a possible late-season addition to the Twins bullpen? Who on this list excites you the most? Let us know what you think in the comments!